It's All in the timing
by whitedove03
Summary: John and Natalie meet in AC, serial killers and romance abound. For more info read the dang story. LOL Please review! I live for reviews! This story will probably remain unfinished. With OLTL off the air I have lost motivation to write. I also lost my notes on where I wanted this to go.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Its all in the Timing….**

Author: Melissa Fitch

Rating NC-17 (eventually)

Universe: AU

Feedback: Yes please!

Summary: John and Natalie meet in AC, serial killers and romance abound. For more info read the dang story. LOL

Comments: I know I have 2 other stories unfinished but this one just stuck with me for some reason. Don't know how long it will be but it will be more than one chapter.

Chapter 1

Terror is like a run away train, unstoppable and forever gaining momentum. The force of that terror was like a living, breathing entity when a person lay under six feet of loose soil and rocks, buried inside a coffin meant for the already dead. Life, with all its happiness and disappointments shrinks down to a tiny space where each and every breath has to be forced into a petrified body.

The air would be thin and the head would spin from the lack of oxygen. Knowing that you are going to die, there in the darkness, alone and terrified, knowing that there is nothing that you can do about it. The mere idea of waiting and hoping someone will rescue you sends shards of sharp icy fear into a soul that refuses to give up.

Natalie didn't know what that was like, but couldn't help remembering the feeling she had when she read those words. She loved to read but that paragraph sent some unknown fear slithering down her spine. She struggled to put it out of her mind, to be more concerned with not making an ass out of herself as she showed up late to her first seminar of the forensics conference that she was rushing to make.

"Dammit!" she muttered as she opened the door to the large auditorium where the seminar was being held. A crime scene picture was already on display in the front by a projector and the instructor, John McBain according to her information, was already explaining some procedure that she had missed by being late.

John paused mid explanation when he heard the door swing shut, turning from the scene he had been describing he faced the late comer who had tried to sneak in with out being noticed. The first thing he noticed about her was the flame red hair. Not too many women could pull that color off and not look like they had taken cool-aide to their head. But she did it perfectly. He couldn't tell if the color was natural or not but if he had to guess he would say that it was. The temper typical in a redhead was showing slightly on her beautiful face. Her eyes showed annoyance and embarrassment. He figured both were because, with her late entrance, everyone was staring at her as she made her way to the front of the room and as it happened the only empty seat in the room. John looked at the list of students taking the class and since he saw there had been only one student unaccounted for up until now said, "Glad you could make it Ms. Buchanan…"

Natalie flushed a little in embarrassment. She muttered a sorry before sinking into the chair. She felt like a lab rat as the entire room watched and waited for her to get out her laptop so she could take notes. Thankfully once she had it out and set up Mr. McBain resumed his lecture. The next 2 hours went by in a flash, her fingers typing as fast as they could to keep up with the flood of information and new forensic techniques that Mr. McBain described.

As the time went by John couldn't help but to keep glancing at Natalie Buchanan. She was one of the most beautiful women he had seen in a long time. It didn't help that the knee length skirt she was wearing kept flashing him a tantalizing view of her upper thigh every time she shifted in her seat. The green sweater she wore with it only emphasized her generous breasts and tiny waist making concentrating on the lecture he was giving all the more difficult. He normally didn't do these conferences but, since he was on medical leave from the gunshot wound he was still getting over, his boss thought this would be a good opportunity for him to work on his 'people skills'. He had gotten the reputation in the bureau as being a loner and since the bureau's new idea of pushing 'team work' he had had to work with a partner instead of doing it alone like he was more comfortable with.

When the seminar was over Natalie packed up her laptop into her bag and debated approaching Mr. McBain with an apology for being late. She knew that it was rude to show up late and really regretted that she had done so today. Of course the idea also was a way to talk to the gorgeous man that was the teacher. At 6 foot 2 at least with shaggy dark hair, a ruggedly handsome face and a body that had seen more than its fair share in a gym John McBain was one good looking but slightly intimidating package. One that she wouldn't mind looking at for a few more minutes. And she really _did_ want to apologize to him. So she did what anyone red-blooded woman would do, she waited until everyone had left and then approached him.

"I'm really sorry I was late Mr. McBain," The apology was sincere and it showed.

John looked up from where he was putting the equipment away and saw that Ms Buchanan had approached him while he had been putting away the projector, and thinking about those long legs of hers!

He looked at her and smiled a little bit. "Call me John, please. Mr. McBain makes me think of my father. And its ok. No harm done." He said with a small chuckle then added good naturedly, "just make sure you aren't late tomorrow Ms. Buchanan. "

Natalie smiled at him widely, "Natalie, please. And I won't be." She paused then said, "I really learned a lot today. You were a good teacher."

John shook his head and groaned. He pretended to glance furtively around and said in a mock whisper, "SHHH, someone might hear you and make me do this every year!"

She laughed at that and said, "You don't normally do the conferences?"

He shook his head and said, "Nope, I don't really like to stand up in front of a group of strangers and talk for hours. In fact I don't really like to talk all that much at all. I'm not much for words." As they talked he had been putting away his supplies for the next day. When he was finished he glanced at her and said, "you getting ready for the next seminar?"

"Yeah, Its not for another hour though. I thought I might go down to broad street and stop at Frank's hotdog stand…" Natalie trailed off as Johns head whipped around and he stared a her in mild shock.

"You know Franks?" he was shocked, not many who weren't native to Atlantic city knew about Franks.

Natalie laughed, "Of course, they have the best…" she paused with dramatic intent before the both said in unison, "Cheese steaks!"

"How do you know about Franks?" John asked as they started walking to the door.

"Are you kidding? I practically lived on them when I worked down the block from there. I grew up like 6 blocks from there." She smiled with the memories she had of that place. With Roxy always out at the casino's Natalie had gotten a job at the local gas station in order to buy food and clothes. If it hadn't been for the state that paid their rent she and Roxy would have been homeless. But despite that she still had some good memories about that time in her life.

"Really? Wow, I grew up in AC too." He was surprised that Natalie had lived in AC she had no accent that he could hear. She must have lived away from Jersey for a while now.

Natalie nodded, "I can tell. Do you still live here?" She realized that as they had been talking they had made it to the front door. She debated on whether to invite him to join her or to listen to her brain which was screaming that she was hear to learn not flirt with gorgeous instructors. When he smiled at her and held the door open her decision was made for her. Like anyone could resist that smile, she thought to her self. Taking a deep breath she blurted out, "Want to join me for lunch?"

John was happy that she invited him. He had been trying to figure out how to invite himself along with her without looking like a perv, or skievy professor hitting on his students. Not that he thought he was much older than Natalie but still.. "Sure, " he said with a smile, "I'm game for some great cheese steak. Wanna meet there?" Again he didn't want her to think he was some predator trying to take advantage of his… students, for lack of a better term.

"We might as well take one car since we both have to come back here in an hour anyway. You mind if we take my car? I would feel more comfortable if we did." She couldn't believe she was dong this, going to lunch with a man she had known all of 2 hours. But there was something about John that made her feel he was safe, that he was trustworthy. And she always followed her gut.

"I don't mind at all." He followed her to her car; happy with the way the day was turning out. He had survived his first lecture and he was going to lunch with a beautiful woman. What more could a man ask for…?

**To be continued….**


	2. Chapter 2

As I write this chapter I keep thinking of the Latin phrase "Alea iacta est…"it means "The die is cast. " I just keep thinking about fate and destiny so this chapter is gonna be a reflection of that. I keep looking up Latin phrases and some just stick with me, make me think so probably a lot of the chapters will be influenced by them. LOL sorry. Or maybe not. LOL Sorry for the long wait though. I have been incredibly busy with work and other things. One minute I have lots of time and then the next thing I know I can't even find time to get to the grocery store!

Chapter 2

Lunch at Franks consisted of cheese steak and animated conversation. They sat at a bench outside the large building that was actually Franks Hotdog Stand. Frank had definitely upgraded from the little shack that Natalie remembered him having so many years ago... Natalie was currently telling John of the time that Roxy had come home one morning and wondered why strangers were in her apartment. As it turned out she had gone to the wrong apartment.

"So she was looking at this big biker dude, screaming at him to get out of her house when I came down the hall to see what the heck was going on." Natalie recounted with on an amused smile.

"She really didn't know she was in the wrong place?" John asked, chuckling at the visual he was getting. From her description her mother, Roxy, seemed like quite the character. Though Roxy was by no means a shining example of motherhood Natalie had not only survived but she had thrived and in doing so forgiven her adopted mother for her terrible neglect.

"Nope, and once she saw me she realized it but she still wasn't even embarrassed." Natalie laughed at that. "She just shrugged at those guys and said sorry before turning around and going to our apartment. " It never ceased to amaze her at how little Roxy cared about the opinions of others.

John grinned in amusement. He took a moment to just look at Natalie. The woman really was stunning. He felt like he was jolted by her beauty every time his eyes met hers. The clear blue of them, framed by her luscious red hair made him wonder what they would look like as he made love to her. Would they sparkle like they did when she laughed, would they gleam with lust and passion? Would she scream his name as she came? Or would she gasp and whimper? He felt slightly ashamed to be thinking of her like that but hey, he was a guy. Guys thought about sex, especially with beautiful women around.

John started to comment but stopped mid sentence as he spotted a grubby looking man striding towards them, his greasy hair falling across his face. The dirty over sized parka he wore hid his body but John could tell he was concealing something beneath he fabric. He motioned to Natalie to watch the man but then noticed that Natalie had already noticed him as well. They both sized him up with out making it too obvious. When he marched into the Franks both John and Natalie got up and followed him in. Their keen instincts telling them that this was not just an ordinary man looking for something to eat.

They went in and pretended to read the menu on the wall as they waited to the suspicious looking man to do something. All he did was pace back and forth for a while but just as John was thinking that maybe he had over reacted the man pulled out a knife, jumped over the counter and grabbed the cashier by the neck. He started shouting at everyone to get down and for the cashier to open the register.

John reacted first by pushing Natalie behind him instinctively. He covered his badge with his shirt thinking that seeing it might make the obviously disturbed man hurt the terrified cashier. Then he carefully slid his hand to his gun only to curse silently, he had left his weapon in the car not wanting to take it into Franks. He looked at Natalie and saw that she didn't have her gun either. He motioned to her that they should follow the man's commands for the moment.

Everyone in the restaurant got on the floor while the cashier fumbled with the register. Once she got it open the man threw her to the floor and began stuffing the money in his pockets. Once he had all the money in the register he hopped back over the counter and ran for the door.

John saw his opportunity as the thief tore by him. He reached a hand out and grabbed the man's leg, causing him to crash to the ground. John was up and kicking the knife from the guys hand in record time. Natalie ran to the cashier checking to see if she was injured. Seeing that the woman was ok she rushed back to John just in time to see the criminal kick his feet out and trip John onto the floor. The man was on him swearing like a mad man trying to break John's face.

John blocked blow after blow before managing to roll the man off him and get in a few good hits of his own. They rolled across the floor trading punches, terrified costumers scrambling to get out of the way. Finally John had had enough and threw a powerful punch right at the mans temple he went limp and stayed that way. John rolled him over and cuffed him, uncaring that he was unconscious.

Natalie had her cell phone out and was calling the AC police. After explaining the situation to the operator Natalie hung up and sighed. "so much for a peaceful lunch. The AC police will be here in a few minutes. "

After the AC police left and Natalie stood next to John watching the cruiser pull away she looked at his bruised face and said, "You did good McBain."

John laughed, then groaned in pain. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts. We need to get back. We're both late for class. " Natalie nodded solemnly and they headed for the car.

The whole episode made Natalie wonder what would have happened if they hadn't decided to go to lunch. "Alea iacta est… " she mumbled as she headed for her car with John. She felt like this even had set the tone of their future. Like they were destined for turbulent times ahead but that they would somehow face them together. .

John heard her mumble something but didn't catch what it was. "What?"

Natalie shook her self out of her sudden introspectiveness. "Alea iacta est…" she repeated. Shaking her head ruefully, " I was just thinking about that phrase. Julius Caesar said it about crossing the Rubicon. It means, 'the die is cast'. Suddenly it just felt like this was the start of something. I don't know. It's a weird feeling."

John thought about it and had to agree. It did feel like the beginning of something. Good or bad he felt like something more was to come for them. "Yeah, I know what you mean. "

They were quiet as they headed back to the conference. Both occupied with their thoughts on the events on what happened. John couldn't help but admire how Natalie hadn't panicked when he had been fighting the guy in the diner. Most other people would have been panicked and would have tried to help. He liked that she trusted him to handle the situation.

* * *

For the next 3 days Natalie continued to spend time with John. They had gone to dinner the first night, then the next they had gone to the casino and had played a few games. Natalie lost but it was all in good fun. On the third they had gone to a little bar and grill that served really good burgers. The bar and grill had a pool table and of course Natalie just had to challenge John to a game. He was laughing as he lost though.

On the last day Natalie had to leave, head back to Llanview. John had walked her to her car and she hugged him goodbye.

"I really am gonna miss you John." Natalie told him as she let go. She had had so much fun just hanging out with him. They hadn't really done anything romantic but she still had had such a great time. Not that she hadn't wanted to do anything romantic but he hadn't really gave any indication he wanted to see her after the conference was over and she wasn't into being 'fucked and forgotten' so she had tried to keep a little distance from him physically.

John felt her body against him and pulled her a bit tighter. This had been the best conference he had ever been to. Even though he had to teach part of it. Spending time with Natalie had been great. She was beautiful, funny, intelligent, charming, and oh did he mention beautiful? He understood her hesitation at being more physical together. He knew she was attracted to him, like he was to her but he also knew that after next week he would be back on active duty and not able to have any kind of relationship with her, as much as he might want to. But he did want to know what it was like to kiss her, even if it was just once…

"Me too." He told her. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her face with his palm. Looking her in the eye he slid his other hand onto her face and pulled her forward gently until they were nose to nose.

Natalie's breath caught as she stared into his heated eyes. The desire in them made her breathless. She moistened her lips just before John leaned forward and closed the gap between their mouths. His lips slid over hers gently, his mouth moved against hers in a kiss of exploration. When his tongue probed her lips she didn't even think to deny him. Once he entered her mouth with his tongue she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Her tongue gently dueling with his as her hands cupped the back of his head.

When they pulled away from each other they were both panting and more than a little out of breath. "Goodbye Natalie, " John told her softly.

Natalie touched her lips as she looked at him. She grinned and said, "take care John. You have my number if you ever want to take a break and talk to me." With that she slid into her car and drove away.

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

Here it is Sunday again. And look! Here is a nice fresh chapter. Hope you all like it. I spend a couple of hours at work, not working LOL, on it last night. No Natalie in this one ( a first for me you know! An all John chapter!) But I felt it was necessary that we understand how John sees things, How he works. Again comments, comments, comments! Did I mention I would love some reviews…. LOL

Disclaimer: I don't own John, though it's a real shame cause I have some GREAT ideas for what I could use him for... I don't own any of the OLTL characters but I do own the storyline, I own my brain which I used to create this story and for the right price I would rent it to ABC since they are clearly in need of fresh talent...

Chapter 3

Paula Henderson went about the day like it was just any other day. She took a shower, washed her hair, fed her fish. She did all the things a normal single woman of 45 would do as she got ready to start her day. She didn't know that this day was anything but normal. It was in fact the last day of her life. If she had known she might have done things differently. Maybe she wouldn't have decided to walk home after work that night, then again being a woman of exceptional physical condition and of much arrogance she might have gone through that dark alley thinking that she could take care of her self.

But she didn't know and she did walk home. So it was with great surprise that she started out walking down the street, a street light at the end of the alley like the light at the end of a tunnel and then woke up in total suffocating darkness and silence. She reached out in the darkness only to be stopped by something hard and unmovable, no matter how much she pushed and pounded. Her heart raced and her mouth opened with a terrified scream of both denial and mind numbing terror. Minute after minute, scream after scream, the time ticked by. Though she measured it not, someone far more sinister did.

He counted off the minutes until she fell silent. His smile was the only indication he gave that he heard her at all. This was after all work, his life's work. He needed to be serious about it. Not giddy like a little boy about to kiss his first girl. After she fell silent he waited, first for her to start pounding or screaming again. He continued to wait, frowning when nothing happened. He walked over to the freshly filled in shallow grave and listened. No screaming at all. That was disappointing. He had thought, given Paula's excellent physical condition that she would have given more of a fight. But it seemed she had given up...

If he had bothered to check at all he would have known that Paula's heart had given out because of her debilitating fear of enclosed spaces. If he had done his research he would have know that when she was a child her step mother had locked her in a closet for days at a time because she was 'bad' resulting in a life long phobia of small dark spaces. But he didn't check, he just marked down the time and reaction and left.

* * *

Death, it was a take no prisoners, all or nothing, enemy of the living. John McBain saw many forms of death in his line of work. As the FBI's top agent with a specialty in dealing with serial killers he saw death every day, knew it like one might know a lover, intimate and personal. Every day that he arrived too late to prevent what was before him, all he could do was study the scene and try to get into the head of the killer who have made it his business to leave another human being an empty vessel, broken and bare.

The scene before him was, unfortunately, one that he had seen before. A freshly dug grave around a cheap casket, buried only a foot below ground in an isolated Pennsylvania state forest. No one around to hear anything, to see anything. No tire tracks were visible anywhere around the grave at all even though the killer must have made his way to this spot by car. Always an anonymous tip led them to the scene, and though they had their best tech men try, the caller could never be found. The caller never said more than just a location and a name. That was all. The first call had been ignored until a man hunting found the casket. His dog had dug it up, probably smelling the rotting flesh of what had been a beautiful young woman. Now when the calls came in, one every few months now, the FBI didn't bother to wait for some hapless hunter to stumble on to the scene.

As he waited for forensics to uncover and reveal whomever was inside he wondered why the killer went to so much trouble to conceal what he was doing only to simply call the FBI after he had done it. If not for his calls many of his victims would not have been found. Disgust ate at him as well as fatigue, he had been up for over 36 hours and it didn't look like he was going to get a break any time soon. He wanted to catch this guy, bad. Every body that they found just made the burning lump of determination inside him flare hotter, burn higher with the need to put this guy behind bars.

Birds sang in the distance, unaware of the horrifying events that had gone on. They had no care for the affairs of men, only worms and other things they might eat or be eaten by caused them to take interest. The tranquil setting somehow gave further affront to Paula Henderson. A woman who had arguably been in the prime of her life, though now was in the prime of her death. A life cut short by needless and obviously terrible circumstances.

John had known what he would see, he had thought he was prepared for it but every so often he would be struck anew with shock and horror at what he saw. What struck that shock and horror in John today was the face of his victim, of Paula Henderson. The twisted grimace of shock and terror was emblazoned on her face for all to see. Her eyes open even in death stared out at him unseeingly, wide with such an expression of blank fright that John thought for a split second, one moment that seemed to last a thousand years to him, that she was alive. His sense returned when one of the newer agents stumbled toward the tree line to throw up his lunch.

He too felt his stomach revolt at the sight but he clamped down and pushed it away. He had a job to do, there would be time later to reel at the horror of it but now he would do his job. He observed the body, how Paula's hand and fingers were bloody and bruised, though not as much as previous victims. Clearly she had been buried alive in the coffin. He noted that unlike the others this coffin was poorly made and was probably constructed by an amateur. Perhaps even by the killer himself.

"Agent McBain?" John started at the question, pulled from his inner thoughts. He looked up to see one of the younger agents off to the side of the small clearing. He was kneeling down and poking at something. He went over to the man to see what he had found.

"Got something?"

"Look at this.. It looks like someone was here, standing for a while. The grass is all flattened, like someone was pacing. I found a candy wrapper over there as well." The agent told him, pointing about 3 feet away where he had found the candy wrapper.

John nodded at the information. This pretty much confirmed his theory that the killer lingered over his victims waiting while they suffered and died. "Thanks. At least now we know that he stays while they die. Make sure forensics checks over here for any trace evidence." The agent nodded and began taping off the areas where he had found the evidence.

Later that day, John sat in his hotel room going over the blown up crime scene photos, trying to understand what the killer was thinking, what he was feeling. His theory that the killer didn't know the victims, hadn't had any contact before he had taken them seemed to be confirmed by their profile of the killer. A profile made by their best criminal psychologist. The profile estimated the killers age at between 35 and 50, most likely a white male who was probably average looking ( a fact seemingly confirmed by his ability to stay out of peoples notice)

But those facts didn't make it any easier to find him. He was meticulous, almost obsessive compulsive, about leaving evidence behind. That suggested that he had been practicing before starting his killing spree.

He didn't think the candy wrapper would lead them anywhere but then again, when killers got comfortable, when they had been killing as long as this one they got cocky. And in his experience that meant they got careless, sloppy. They made mistakes and that might happen today, or even tomorrow so he treated every scrap of evidence no matter how small as though it could break the case wide open.

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the huge, huge gap in chapters. I hope you all haven't forgotten this fic. If you haven't and want to read more thank ICE for this chapter. She reminded me yesterday that I hadn't updated in forever. I have had some personal issues to deal with these last few months (moving, my aunt dying to name a few) and haven't really felt like writing much, not to mention this chapter has kicked my ass. Seriously I have re-written the beginning so many times its not funny. I am finally happy with it… I think.

Attn: I don't own John or Natalie or any other OLTL character but everyone else is mine. The plot is mine as well. I am making no profit off this so ABC please keep your hands off my money and don't sue.

Chapter 4

"You know, Will, it never ceases to amaze me the arrogance of criminals these days. " Natalie commented to her best friend and lab partner as she stared down into the microscope. The sample she was looking at through the lens magnified so she could compare the sample to another collected from a home invasion from 3 days ago.

Willow Summers, laughed a little at the comment but asked the question she knew Natalie was fishing for. "Why do you say that?" At 5 foot 11, with more curves than a twisted mountain road, Willow could have been a model rather than a seasoned forensic analyst. Her ravens wing black hair and her sun kissed skin gave her the look of a woman who spent more days at the beach rather than catching killers and other assorted criminals.

Natalie looked up at the other woman to give her a big grin, "cause I just made a match to the hair that was found in the Phillips case. It's a match to the suspect that they picked up this morning for drinking and driving. He was smart enough to get away from the cops yet stupid enough to get picked up for DWI. "

Willow shook her head in disgust. She had a particular distaste for thieves since her parents had been killed in a home invasion. Her testimony was what had put the guys who had done it behind bars. "Some people just don't know when to give up I guess. "

Natalie had almost ceased to be shocked at the complete stupidity of criminals. At other times she was infuriated at how apt they were to get away with everything under the sun. Rich perps and expensive lawyers made it almost impossible to get a solid conviction these days. That being said, DNA was especially convincing to juries and with this case she definitely had that. "I wonder what he was thinking…" her voice disgusted as she continued, "probably hawked everything that he stole to buy booze."

Will nodded slightly in agreement, equally as disgusted, " Probably." Taking a cleansing breath, "Now that that's done, want to hit Rodi's when night shift gets here? I could use a cold one after today." Sticking her hands in her white lab coat Willow sighed. She had done a double and she was ready to get out of the lab.

"You're on. " Natalie agreed. "Play a game of pool?" She challenged as she began putting her supplies away and the evidence back in the bags. She loved Rodi's, in fact she had worked there as a waitress for awhile while she had gone to school to get her degree.

"Hell no, you'll whip my butt," Willow laughed. Natalie could play like nobodies business. In another life Natalie might have gone professional with her playing but for personal reasons Natalie had chosen to help put criminals behind bars instead.

Natalie laughed with her as she walked to the closet to get her coat. "Come on, I'll let you win…" batting her eyelashes in mock pleading she smiled winningly.

Caving, "one game. Just one. I have no desire to be laughed at by the entire bar."

They smiled at each other then burst out laughing. They both knew everyone at Rodi's would want if not expect Natalie to win any game she played there. She was somewhat of a legend there, having never been beaten.

"Did I miss the joke?" Jamie Benson asked as he strode into the room. " Every time I come in here I always feel if I'm missing something."

Natalie and Willow kept laughing for a minute then filled Jamie in on the progress they had made that day before leaving for the night.

* * *

In the dark of the midnight hour, between the calling of the night birds and the rustle of the wind through the trees Kendra Reins ran for her life. A simple hiking trip to the Pocono's turning into reenactment of a bad horror flick. Her dark red hair catching the pale moon light as she darted back and forth between the towering evergreens. Kendra was accustomed to running on uneven terrain being a cross country runner in high school. Her sixteen years on this earth could never have prepared her for the shock and horror that she had experienced at finding her boyfriend dead, his throat almost cut all the way through, in the tent where they were supposed to be spending the night.

She had taken a short walk to relieve her bladder and had found Justin dead, his blood soaking his sleeping bag. After screaming her head off she had tried to call 911. Sell phones didn't work in the middle of nowhere, however. She heard a noise from the woods. Thinking it the murderer she had taken off in a blind run away from the noise she had heard. She ran till she thought her legs would give out and then ran some more. Finally she had to stop, she must be safe by now she thought, she hadn't heard a noise behind her in a while. As she stopped and tried to get a baring on where she was her breath heaved puffed out in gasps as her chest heaved in exertion. She heard a car! She must be near a road! Suddenly filled with renewed energy Kendra sprinted toward the sound of the car, almost stumbling when she nearly ran out in front of a large dark SUV. Waving her hands frantically she screamed in an attempt to get the driver to stop and help her. The car screeched to a stop and Kendra ran to the door that opened. A nice looking man sat behind the wheel looking concerned.

"Need help, miss?" the man asked nicely. His face showing nothing but curiosity and concern.

"I need to call the police!" Kendra gasped out, "my boyfriend was murdered!" She got in the car when he motioned for her to.

"Jesus! I have a phone in here somewhere. " his voice reassuring and kind.

"Thank you mister!" she was so relieved as she pulled the door shut. "I think the killer was chasing me back there."

Slowly the man raised his head and looked at her. His curious, friendly face turning dark and malicious. "Oh he was."

Kendra saw his face change and terror consumed her. She grabbed for the door handle, wanting to jump out of the car, only to realize that the handle was gone just as a fist came flying at her face. There was a sharp crack as it connected, then a mind numbing pain before the blackness of nothing took her down into the depths of oblivion.

The man tied her hands and feet together before lightly caressing her face. "You might be my longest yet." He drove off into the night with his newly acquired victim.

* * *

"I win." Natalie grinned at Willow as she sank the 8-ball into the right corner pocket.

Willow just shook her head and laughed, "You always win. You said you would let me win this one." She said with a mock glare.

Natalie grinned happily, smugly even, "I lied." She rounded the pool table, putting the cue back on the rack. "You still got to buy the drinks tonight. That's the deal."

"I always end up buying the drinks," she grumbled good-naturedly going to get their drinks as Natalie sat down at their usual table.

"So you hear from talk, dark and handsome yet?" Willow asked as she sat their beers down and sat down across from Natalie.

Natalie blushed a little at the mention of John McBain, the man she had spent such a wonderful time with during the AC forensics convention. "No, he's probably working." The excuse didn't quite prevent the disappointment she felt. She had hoped John would call, especially after that scorching kiss they had shared right before she left.

Willow grinned, she knew Natalie had really liked John. She had spilled about everything almost as soon as she got back. Willow had been trying to convince Natalie to look John up and call him but she was reluctant to make the first move.

"You know you want to talk to him. Just call him." Willow said for the hundredth time it seemed.

"If he wants to talk to me, he has my number Will. I'm not gonna bother him, especially if he is in the middle of a case. " Taking a sip from her beer she was quiet for a moment before grinning evilly, "So how's Rex?"

Willow blushed beat read and almost inhaled her beer as she gasped in surprise. "I don't know what you are talking about..." she lied lamely.

"I saw your car out side his apartment last night, late." She openly laughed at the embarrassed look on Willow's face her suspicion about the two confirmed. "Aww your blushing!"

Willow blushed harder and shook her head. "We went to UV last night then back to his place to talk. He's a great guy, Nat. I really like him."

Natalie let up with her teasing to give Willow a real smile. "I know. My brother is the best, I couldn't think of anyone better for him than you."

**To be continued… soon I hope…**


	5. Chapter 5

Attn: Don't own them, want to but can't If ABC likes the plot and is jealous of how awesome this is then, Hire me! Don't sue.

Authors note: Yes another chapter! I have been blessed with a job right now that allows me to bring my laptop to work and time to write. I hope I get more than 3 reviews this time. Really! Have you all forgotten this fic? If no one wishes to read I might as well not finish the fic. No sense wasting my time if no one is even reading.

**Chapter 5 **

Willow was about to reply to Natalie but the TV over the bar cut loudly to a special news report. The reported detailed that a teenage male had been found brutally murdered in the forests of the Pocono Mountains. Normally upstate Pennsylvania was not a hot spot for horrible murders so this was really shocking to the public. The reported that the boy had apparently been stabbed in some manor and that his girl friend Kendra Reins was missing. A statewide search was being conducted for the girl and they were asking anyone that might have seen her to call a hotline.

* * *

As Natalie and Willow watched the special report on the fuzzy TV above the bar at Rodi's John was seeing it on his TV in the crappy hotel room he had made his base of operations. He was more than a little concerned at this report. Murders were not uncommon but the viciousness of this attack was startling. He called in to his office to see if he could get any further information. This didn't seem connected to his case at first blush but any murder that happened in the area he was gonna look into to make sure.

As he watched the news report flash another picture of Kendra Reins her dark red hair made him flash to another redhead. Natalie Buchanan... His gut tightened and he had to push away the sick dread that accompanied that image of her in those woods missing, maybe dead. He hadn't talked to her since Atlantic City but he thought of her a lot. He had really wanted to call her but every time he thought of it he was struck by the thought that she was young and beautiful and probably had a man in Llanview that would worship her every footstep; a man that didn't carry so much baggage, emotional or otherwise. Pushing away those maudlin thoughts he picked up the phone and made the call that he hoped would not connect his case with the one of Kendra Reins.

Two hours later John found himself looking at the body of Justin Smith, Kendra Reins' boyfriend. The body lay on a steel gray slab in the frigid house of the dead. Dr. Moralis conducted the autopsy with precision and the deep belief that the men and women he worked on deserved to have their story told. To have the truth of their death so that justice might be found. The deep cut to the neck of Justin Small was as vicious as it was precise, only deep enough to sever the jugular and carotid in the neck. The wound was straight and done cleanly, there had been no hesitation at all. Clearly it had been done by someone who knew what they were doing and was not afraid to kill even the young and full of life.

The more John looked at the body the more he was convinced that this murder was connected to his case. He didn't really understand why he felt so strongly about it because the boy here was for one a man and his killer had never targeted men before and his throat was cut, again, something his killer had never done before but his gut was certain that his man had done this. His theory was that the boy here was collateral damage. Just in the way of his actual target, Kendra Reins. Hopefully trace could get some clues from the fingernail and hair scrapings as to who had done this to Justin, and with any luck where the killer might have taken Kendra, if indeed she had been kidnapped.

After receiving a full report from Dr Moralis John headed out to the forests of the Pocono's so that he could see the scene for himself. Something about the way the boy was killed was nagging at him. If the boy had been the target or if it had been a random killing why would the killer stick around, why wait for the girl? That was sticking with him, why wait unless the killer knew that Justin wasn't alone and they wanted her too. Or if the killer didn't grab the girl, where was she? How come she didn't show up somewhere? The forensics indicated that she had been in the tent after the boy had been found. There had been some hair in the pool of blood that almost certainly belonged to Kendra. What ever had happened, he hoped he would find something to prove he was on the right track with this and not wasting time.

That being the case, he got down to business as soon as he got close enough to where he could go the rest of the way on foot. He started out near the road and worked his way back to the crime scene looking for any evidence of Kendra or the killer. What he found shocked him, not because it was anything new to him but because the previous cops had made no mention of something so obvious. He saw that there were signs that someone had recklessly run through the area, and recently. Broken branches and missing leaves on the trees gave a clear direction the person had come from as well. Taking out his digital camera he took pictures of the area and began to back track the trail, following the damaged foliage. After more than a mile of walking he was unsurprised to find himself in the clearing that had seen so much violence and death earlier that night.

It was fairly obvious that Kendra had found Justin's body and had taken off on a run. What he didn't know was if anyone had actually been chasing her. He had found no evidence of it on the path that she had taken but that in and of it self didn't mean anything. After taking pictures of the crime scene he went back towards the woods where Kendra had run. He began to look for evidence of someone following her parallel to her path. It took some time but he managed to find some signs that she had been followed. A broken twig here... a partial food print there... As he noticed these things he took both pictures and physical samples to bring back to the lab to analyze.

Once he was finished he headed back down the mountain and to the precinct that was handling the case. He knew they wouldn't be happy to hand over their case to a fed but he felt he now had sufficient, if a bit circumstantial, evidence to make a strong argument that this case and his were the same.

"I don't care if you're the fuckin' Pope himself!" Detective Higgins yelled in John's face. "You ain't takin' my case."

"Listen," John tried to placate, " this case is more than you can handle, and I believe that you killer and my serial killer are one and the same."

"Where is your proof? Just because your gut says so?" Higgins snidely commented. "Its obvious that this girl got caught up in the wrong crowd and they killed her boyfriend. He was a punk, hung out with criminals and they finally did him in."

"Where's your proof of that?" He wasn't getting anywhere with this jackass. The man was determined to brand Kendra a murderous tramp who killed her boyfriend. His mind was made up on it and he wouldn't listen to reason. Thinking that a call to his boss might help he made the call, only to be told that the evidence didn't warrant taking over the case from the locals. That now wasn't the best time for the FBI to be picking fights with the local police. It was such political bullshit. They wouldn't even run the evidence that he had collected! Telling him to turn it over to the local cops and let them handle it. It was times like this that made him want to quit his job and work for himself.

His gut had been right enough for them to trust him, just how many of their asses had he saved do to the fact that his gut had warned him of a trap or that they were on the right track. It felt like they had betrayed him by their decision not to back him up about this. Didn't they want him to get the killer? If he was going to work this case they had to let him go with his instincts not just the straight facts.

So now his choices were to go back to AC and call in a favor to get someone to run the evidence off the books or involve someone that didn't work for the FBI. The more he thought about it the more clear the choice became. The problem was that he didn't know if he made the choice he did because he thought it was the best course of action or because he just wanted to hear her voice again. Either way he knew who he was gonna call...

**To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"This is Natalie Buchanan's phone. She isn't here right now, if you're hot and sexy please tell me who you are so I can tell my girl to call you back ASAP!" Willow answered Natalie's phone while Natalie was in the bathroom.

"Uh... this is John McBain, is Natalie around?" John was hesitant and a little taken aback at the greeting he had just received.

"JOHN MCBAIN! The sexy studly FBI guy that Nat spent time with in Atlantic City?" Willow was loving this! The guy had finally called Natalie, "Took you long enough to call her! She has been moping around here like her dog was killed, thinking that you didn't like her after all!"

"WILLOW! What the hell are you doing with my phone and who the hell are you talking to?" Natalie was blushing beet red at the thought of who Willow could be talking to. "And when did you suddenly turn into a Roxy wannabe?"

"Roxy wannabe? That hurts Natalie. Can't a girl just be happy for her best friend when the guy she likes calls her?" Willow fake whined then stopped suddenly. LORD! "I DID sound like Roxy there a little!"

John was quiet on the phone just listening to the banter. Despite the grisly nature of his call he found he could smile at their conversation. He was also more than a little please to hear that Natalie had wanted to hear from him.

"Give me that!" Natalie snatched the phone from Willow and said cautiously, "Hello?"

"Hey, Natalie," John grinned as he said it. He couldn't help it, her voice made him smile.

"John!" she squeaked in both shock and embarrassment, "Oh god!" She put a hand over her face in embarrassment then looked up and shot Willow a death glare. "Ummmm... Sorry about that. Willow was dropped on her head as a child one too many times."

John laughed at that, amused by her embarrassment. "That's ok. I kinda liked that greeting. But if other sexy, studly FBI agents are calling you I might have to break their faces for them..."

"John!" She was shocked at that but quickly laughed it off. "So what's up? As much as I'd like to believe you were missing me and decided to call, I can tell from your voice that there is something bothering you."

He was a bit stunned that she could tell he was bothered just by listening to his voice, "Actually... I was hoping you could do me a favor. I know I've been an ass for not calling but I really could use a little help from a gorgeous forensic tech..."

Natalie was a bit disappointed that he was only calling for a favor but also flattered that he had called HER for this particular favor when he probably knew a lot of people that could have helped him with whatever he needed. She secretly hoped that he was calling her instead of any of those other people because he had missed her as much as she had missed him. "What can I do for ya?"

"I need you to run some tests on some evidence for me. I know it's asking a lot but I really need you to do this for me."

"Why can't you have your own guys run it?" She was curious; giving Willow a wave she went outside so that she could talk to John with out the noise of the boisterous crowd. For a Thursday Rodi's sure was busy... Especially after that special that had run until someone had turned the channel to something else. Normally she and Willow didn't spend hours at Rodi's but some college guys had challenged Natalie to a couple games of pool. A couple games had turned into betting on a few more and then a few more to win their money back. When it was all said and done Natalie was several hundred dollars richer and Willow was having a blast watching Natalie kick some college preppy butt.

"I'll explain when I get down there, ok? It's a little hard to explain over the phone." He sighed, "This could save someone's life. Please, Natalie, Say you'll help."

It was Natalie's turn to sigh. She didn't like going into things blind, even for John McBain. But if he said someone's life was on the line then it was. He wouldn't lie about something like that. "Ok. I'll help but there better be a full explanation when you get here. When will you be here?" She couldn't exactly get into the lab now but if she knew when he was getting here she would have time to think of a way to get rid of Jamie for a bit. "I got to have time to get to the lab and get rid of the person there for a while.

"I'm about 4 hours from Llanview. Can you be ready by then? I would call and request the use of your lab but I'm not really supposed to have this stuff…" he hedged.

"Sounds awfully cloak and dagger McBain…" Natalie teased lightly. "I'll figure out how to get you in under the radar."

John was relieved, "Thanks. I owe you big time."

"Yeah, ya do McBain." She told him lightly. "See you in 4 hours." She clicked off and went back inside.

* * *

Four and a half hours later John pulled into the LVPD parking lot with his box of evidence and the file he had managed to get out of the FBI office with out being conspicuous. Natalie met him at the door with a smile and he felt his heart jump a little in response. Even in the most serious situations Natalie had that effect on him. His heart always lightened a little with her presence. He had noticed that during their few days in Atlantic City as well. That fact still scared him a little despite how much he like Natalie, or maybe because of it...

"Thanks Natalie. I really do appreciate this. " John started with then as he followed her down the hall to where he assumed her lab was he said, "you look as beautiful as I remember."

Natalie turned around with a blush but said firmly, "you promised me an explanation..."

John loved the fact that she wasn't gonna let him slide with not telling her. When they got to the lab he told her as much as he could about the case he was working in hopes that she would understand why he felt he needed to trust his gut on this one rather than simply go with what the obvious evidence was saying.

Natalie was nodding as John got to the part where the local police had refused to give up the case. "I don't blame them John. Your gut aside, your evidence is shaky at best and they probably felt like you were hijacking their case. Nobody likes when the feds swoop in and grab things that they feel they have no right to."

"I know. I was really trying not to do that but that guy was a serious ass. He has the case 'solved' with out even taking a proper look at it." He shook his head in disgust.

"Well the guy does sound like a real piece of work. I give you that." She thought about it and decided that regardless of her understanding of the local cops attitude it did should like they had made up their minds before looking at all the facts. It still seemed unlikely to her that this case and John's case were related but after reading up on john's history with the FBI she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't a cop but she did understand about gut feelings... "Ok well lets get started on this evidence of yours. Maybe we can catch a killer."

After two hours of examining his evidence Natalie had to admit there were things that didn't add up. Things that lead her to believe that Kendra was indeed chased and abducted and not a murderous teenager. The hairs from the blood matched Kendra Reins but there were more hairs near the road that John collected. They were also Kendra's, it was curious why a girl who supposedly planned to kill her boyfriend would flee through the woods rather than just take the main road. Not to mention the curious metal and glass shards that John had collected from the boot imprints running parallel to Kendra's path. They were from some kind of industrial factory, and there wasn't one factory in the entire state that used the specific type of glass treatment that Natalie had discovered on the fragment.

"Well?" John was anxious, he could tell by Natalie's expression that she had found something.

"I think you're right. Kendra definitely didn't kill Justin. From the angle of the wounds in the pictures I would say his attacker came up behind him while Justin was standing and slit his throat. Justin is almost 6 feet tall. From the angle of the cut clearly the attacker was taller than Justin. I would say 6 foot 1 or 2. There was definitely someone either chasing or following Kendra out of those woods. They probably work at a auto factory but not in this state. They could work in a garage in this state too though since they fix both foreign and domestic cars. But the glass is definitely auto glass." Natalie explained.

John was glad that his hunch was right but still pissed that he really had no more clue where Kendra was than before he had come here. "Thanks Natalie."

"But John, I still don't see a connection to your case in all this. Do you still think that your serial killer kidnapped Kendra Reins to torture and kill her?" She really wanted to know. It just didn't add up to her but then she didn't track down serial killers for a living. She dealt with facts and hard evidence, not gut feelings.

John looked at her seriously, grimly, "Yeah I do." He shook his head warily, "I can't explain it any better than I already have but I really do believe it's the same guy. There is just something about it that doesn't mesh. I can't figure it out. I was hoping that you would find something that jumped out at me."

"I'm sorry I couldn't find that for you. I want to help find Kendra too. That poor girl, her parents must be out of their minds with worry." Natalie shrugged sadly.

"Yeah, they are. And you did help. We just have to figure out what all this means."

"We?" Natalie smiled; glad to be included in this with him as something other than a person to look at forensic evidence.

John gave her a real smile and said "Yeah, we."

**To be continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: don't own ABC's charaters. This is non profit so don't sue!**

**Chapter 7**

"Why do you keep burying them alive? That tells us nothing!" a harsh voice rasped in the darkness of the night. Heavy breathing the only other sound heard at the moment. "You can't make a conclusion with just one type of test…" laughter accompanied the rough words.

"Because! Leave me alone. This is my work! My project! I'm in control here. Its my work. I MUST complete my work!" The voice high, panicked, and slightly hysterical.

Kendra lay on the table pretending to be unconscious as the voices echoed around her in the dark. Her limp body tied at the wrists and ankles while her attacker debated back and forth about changing his plans, and the benefits of further project analysis. The terror she felt was mind numbing and visceral. Her half open eyes darted around desperate to see who was speaking, to see anything but consuming darkness.

She jumped when a loud metallic scrapping sound echoed in her ears. A shriek erupting from her lips when she finally saw the source of one of the voices. His face so ordinary and not threatening. But the look in his eyes scared her more than anything else she had ever seen. It was blank and detached. Clinical even. He didn't see her as a person, she was a thing to him. Something to be studied and examined.

At the thought she started screaming as loudly as she could only to be silenced by his hand over her mouth and nose. She couldn't breath! She started to struggle, terror building till she was crazed. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she tried to bite the hand over her mouth.

Then as suddenly as the hand covered her mouth, it was gone. She could breath again. The man looking back at her was still dispassionate, still unemotional. It was like he was cataloging her reactions, studying her. Her mind numbing fear abated a little, letting her brain work again. She frantically tried to think of a way to get away. Maybe she should speak to him? Find out what he wanted? If she knew what he wanted maybe she could give it to him and he would let her go..

"What do you want? Why am I here?"

The man jolted, like he wasn't expecting her to speak. Like he had forgotten she was even there. At her words he focused on Kendra, really focused and smiled. The smile was chilling in its evilness. It was a smile that conveyed unholy delight and the desire to cause unbearable pain. "My dear, what I want is to know you. For you to know me. I want to know how strong you are. You will be strong for me won't you? "

The words terrified Kendra but she sucked in a breath and said, "yes, I'll be strong. Please. Let me go. I'll be strong."

He appeared to think about it. After a moment he smiled an almost boyish smile and said earnestly, "tonight is a night of firsts for us. Lets both do something different. I'll make you a deal.. if you are strong for me, I'll let you go. But you have to be strong."

She didn't know what he meant by being strong but she would do anything to get out of here. She eagerly nodded, " yes, yes. I'm strong, I'll be strong. "

When he smiled again and left the room Kendra started sobbing hysterically even as she yanked and pulled at her restraints. She didn't want to die here, she just wanted to go home.

Several minutes later the man came back in the room and when he got close enough she saw he had a covered table with him. It was small and about waist high. A terrified sob burst past her lips as she asked, "whats that? What are you gonna do to me?"

He pulled the cover off the table revealing various kitchen and garage tools and said, " we are gonna see how strong you are. You will have to excuse my ineptness though. I have never done it this way before. With that he flipped a switch and a single bright light came on. She could finally see where she was. And she started crying again. The room was full of coffins. Every type you could imagine. All around her, coffins.

As he picked up a screwdriver from his tray the man moved forward, "this will hurt so but you promised to be strong"

After that there was nothing but screaming.

* * *

'So what do we do now?" Natalie asked. They sat on the couch in John's room. He had rented a room at the angel square hotel for the night so he wouldn't have to drive back to the Pocono's.

"I don't know. The police aren't letting me in on the investigation and I can't force them. I might have to work another angle until I can either connect this case to my unsub or find out that I am wrong and it is not connected at all. Either way, I can't do any more there tonight."

Natalie put her hand on his arm. "I know you want to help, that you want to catch him. It must be hard knowing that there isn't anything else you can do right now." She felt bad. She didn't really know if the cases were connected but John obviously thought they were. She wanted to help but didn't know how she could.

"It is. I know I don't have proof but this just feels different but yet the same. I can't really describe it. It was calculating and cold. Precise but yet different from the usual way he operates. I think he is evolving. Experimenting on his methods. But again its strange because the previous cases seemed like he was confident, like he knew exactly what he was doing at why. To change his MO is unlikely at that point but still. I can't help but think that's just what he is doing. " The actions of the unsub seemed as erratic as they were planned. As far from the usual method as it was as perfectly executed.

Natalie sighed and took a drink from the beer she was sipping. She got up and went to the sink. Dumping the rest of the beer down the drain she said, "I'm sorry I couldn't help more. I feel bad that you came all this way for nothing."

John smiled at her, a little shy, " it wasn't for nothing. At least I got to see you again." He stood up and put his drink in the sink beside hers. Standing close he brought his had to her face and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and brushed her cheek with his thumb. "I missed you. Thought about you a lot. I just wish I didn't have to leave town tomorrow. I want to spend more time with you.

Natalie blushed a little and leaned into his hand., "Me too. But I know how important it is for you to catch your killer. You couldn't do anything else." She smiled at him and gave him a hug. "I better head home. I have work tomorrow and you need to catch a killer. "

John held her tight for a moment and rubbed his face in her hair. Pulling back he smiled, " Thank you. I mean it. I really appreciate your help." With his arm around her they walked to the door and stopped. Giving in to impulse he took her hand and turned her around. Leaning in he gave her a soft kiss before pulling back. He smiled again, "you are so beautiful."

Natalie was slightly dazed from the kiss and it took her a moment to recover. She smiled back at him. "thanks. You too.." then blushed, "I mean you're hot.." blushing " She was flustered. "I'm gonna leave now." With that she hurriedly opened the door and stepped out in the hall before turned back, " don't wait so long to call me next time huh?"

John was grinning at her. Her embarrassment was cute. "I won't. I promise." He watched her walk down the hall before shutting the door and heading for his bed. It was gonna be a long day tomorrow and he need to get some rest. He just prayed he could catch the killer before anyone else died.


End file.
